KEY POINTS:
Labour is vowing to give National and New Zealand First a run for their money in the crucial Tauranga electorate.
"It's one of the few seats in the country where three parties are truly vying for the seat," candidate Anne Pankhurst said yesterday.
Miss Pankhurst, 56, is contesting the seat for Labour for the first time and said she hoped voters would look to her for "solid, informed and intelligent representation".
Labour has not held the seat since 1938 but Miss Pankhurst believes her experience as a Tauranga City councillor and local business leader will allow her to put up a strong fight against National's new, young candidate Simon Bridges, 31.
Her other likely foe will be New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, who held the seat for 21 years before National's Bob Clarkson won by a narrow margin in 2005 and who is expected to announce another bid for the electorate soon.
Miss Pankhurst has lived in Tauranga for 25 years and served on the council until recently. She is vice-president of the Tauranga Chamber of Commerce, and has owned several well-known restaurants in Tauranga and Mt Maunganui.
"My strengths are my knowledge of the city and the issues that underpin the growth of the city," she said.
Tauranga was no longer "God's waiting room" and had a growing population of young families who she wanted to ensure had a strong economy and affordable housing.
Miss Pankhurst spoke to the Herald at a Chamber of Commerce lunch which was also attended by Prime Minister Helen Clark and Minister of State Mita Ririnui.
Helen Clark said she was confident Labour could secure more votes in Tauranga than in the past and that National was taking a gamble with the youthful Mr Bridges compared to its last candidate.
"I think Bob Clarkson's great attribute was he was a household name and took on another household name and brand, which was Winston Peters.
"So obviously this time they're starting a lot further behind the ballpark and it's going to be very interesting."
The Prime Minister said although Tauranga had not been viewed as a Labour seat, there had always been strong party support in the electorate.
"A challenge always for one of our candidates is to see if they can translate that into the candidate vote, and we have a high-profile candidate."
Helen Clark said she and other Labour ministers had also put in a lot of time visiting Tauranga and participating in business and other symposiums that had helped to grow the party's support.
Miss Pankhurst differed from the 2002 candidate, Margaret Wilson, who though a political veteran, was new to the area.
